A conventional cymbal comprised as a concave circular disc or plate, usually made of brass or bronze. The tone of high quality cymbals contain a blend of virtually all the notes of the scale or their harmonic compliments, made up of a fundamental tone or bell tone, and overtones. Cymbals can vary from one another quite distinctly in tone. Cymbals of a seeming identity may have a distinct tone, according to its unique dominate pitch in response to sympathetic vibration. The usual sound affect desired from a cymbal is a "crash."
Cymbals are made in various categories according to variations in size, weight, surface curvature, the latter variation including various tapers, surface curvature varying from a substantially uniform or flat topped curvatures to those having a central cup or bell, which is of a shorter radius in the remainder or bow of the cymbal and raised above it. Cymbals are also made especially for different uses, such as those played singly, and paired cymbals which are struck together, hand-held or by foot petal stand. Various attempts have been made to produce a cymbal having an improved sound. Such cymbals are disclosed is U.S. Letters Pat. Nos. D301,893; D297,015; 4,320,687; 4,114,502; and 4,807,510. U.S. Letters Pat. No. D297,015 discloses an octagon shaped cymbal having a smooth surface. U.S. Letters Pat. No. D301,893 discloses a circular cymbal having pitted regions randomly dispersed throughout the top of the cymbal. U.S. Letters Pat. No. 4,114,502 discloses a cymbal have multiple mounting apertures at the top of the cymbal. U.S. Letters Pat. No. 4,320,687 discloses an elliptical cymbal.
Cymbals have been designed to include circular tonal grooves. These tonal grooves are in the shape of circular arcs which increase in diameter from the center of the cymbal. Score lines have also been added to cymbals. Score lines are non-uniform grooves that extend from the top to the edge of the cymbal. The score lines have varying widths and depths, are not uniformly spaced from one another, and are limited to a small region on the cymbal. Typically 1-5 score lines are contained in a small region on the cymbal. These cymbals generally 1 to 3 regions of score lines, which are separated from one another on the cymbal.
Cymbals have also been designed to be used as crash cymbals. These cymbals are typically struck with a drum stick with a large force to produce a "crash" sound. Typically these cymbals are made from a thin material to enhance to the amount of vibration and sound generated when the cymbal is struck. However, these cymbals have a tendency to crack or shatter after periods of short use. This can become very inconvenient if the cymbal cracks or breaks during a song or concert.